The Bed Bug Registry Reports on Maryland Hotels

The Bed Bug Registry describes itself as a “free, public database of user-submitted bed bug reports from across the United States and Canada.”  The Registry has been compiling data since 2006, and so far, has collected a staggering 20,000 reports across more than 12,000 different locations.  Unfortunately, 538 of those reports — many of which refer to hotels, motels, and inns — originate from Maryland.  In this blog entry, our Maryland hotel bed bug lawyers investigate what the Bed Bug Registry has to say about lodgings in Baltimore and Ocean City.

Bed Bug Registry Complaints About Baltimore Hotels

With more than 600,000 residents, Baltimore is Maryland’s most heavily populated city by a wide margin. Unfortunately, that applies to bed bugs as well as humans.

As a bustling metropolitan center, Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs are home to hundreds of hotels and motels — some of which are more diligent in their pest control efforts than others.  At the time of this writing, the Bed Bug Registry database features reports on more than 30 different hotels across Baltimore.

Do you see your hotel on this list?

• Baltimore Inner Harbor Marriott at Camden Yards
  110 S. Eutaw St.
  Baltimore, MD 21201
  Last Report: January, 2014

• Best Western Hotel and Conference Center
  5625 Odonnell St.
  Baltimore, MD 21224
  Last Report: June, 2014

• Biltmore Suites Hotel
  205 W. Madison St.
  Baltimore, MD 21201
  Last Report: May, 2011

• Crestline Hotels
  1000 Aliceanna St.
  Baltimore, MD 21202
  Last Report: June, 2011

• Hyatt Regency Baltimore 
  300 Light St.
  Baltimore, MD 21202
  Last Report: June, 2011

• Marriott Baltimore Waterfront
  700 Aliceanna St.
  Baltimore, MD 21202
  Last Report: September, 2013

• Pier 5 Hotel
  711 Eastern Ave.
  Baltimore, MD 21202
  Last Report: May, 2011

• Quality Inn
  1401 Bloomfield Ave.
  Baltimore, MD 21227
  Last Report: September, 2010

• Radisson Plaza Lord
  20 W Baltimore St.
  Baltimore, MD 21201
  Last Report: August, 2013

• Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor
  17 Light St.
  Baltimore, MD 21202
  Last Report: January, 2015

Reported Infestations in Ocean City, MD

While Baltimore may be Maryland’s largest city by population, it certainly isn’t the only city to struggle with its fair share of outbreaks.  Prized by tourists and vacationers for its boardwalk and relaxing beaches, nearly 20 hotels in Ocean City received negative reports, including the following:

• The Americana Hotel
  913 N. Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: June, 2013

• Carousel Beachfront Hotel and Suites
  11700 Coastal Hwy.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: October, 2014

• Comfort Inn Boardwalk
  507 S. Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: August, 2009

• Fenwick Inn
  13801 Coastal Hwy.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: March, 2012

• Harrison Hall Hotel
  1409 N Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: December, 2014

• Howard Johnson
  2401 Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD
  Last Report: August, 2012

• Majestic Hotel
  613 N. Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: August, 2013

• Plim Plaza Hotel
  109 S Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: September, 2014

• Princess Bayside Beach Hotel
  4801 Coastal Hwy.
  Ocean City, MD 21842
  Last Report: August, 2014

• Tidelands Caribbean Hotel
  409 S. Atlantic Ave.
  Ocean City, MD
  Last Report: October, 2012

As you may have noticed, there is no particular pattern with regard to the time of year that bed bug infestations occur.  While insect life is generally more active in the warm months of spring and summer, bites and outbreaks are possible year-round, as exemplified by reports left in the months of September, October, and even December.  Unfortunately, cold weather alone is not a guarantee against bites.

If you’re planning on traveling anytime soon, it is well worth the time and effort to conduct some basic research by comparing the hotels you’re interested in booking.  Remember, not only can an infested hotel room ruin a good night’s sleep — you could also bring bed bugs back home with you when you leave.

Where to Get Outbreak Alerts

Infestation alerts from the Registry are a free and easy way to get notifications about outbreaks nearby.  If you sign up for alerts, you’ll receive an email message whenever somebody reports bed bugs within one mile of your location.  Alerts in the same location are bundled together, so you won’t receive more than one message per week.

If you’d like to sign up, simply navigate to the Registry’s Alerts section, type in your location, and click subscribe.  You can unsubscribe at any time.

Additionally, it’s always a good idea to call up your local health department or code inspector before you decide to check into a hotel.  Once you arrive, you can also ask the front desk clerk about prior infestations.  He or she will be able to pull up information about your room, and can help transfer you to a different room if your original choice turned up a history of bed bugs.

Finally, you can cross-compare listings on the Bed Bug Registry against the listings compiled by Bed Bug Reports, a similar site which breaks reports down by state.

If you or your loved ones suffered from bed bug bites after staying at a Maryland hotel or motel, the hotel bed bug attorneys of Whitney, LLP can help you fight for compensation.  To arrange for a free and private legal consultation, call us right away at (410) 583-8000.  While our law offices are located in Towson, MD, we represent hotel bed bug bite victims across the United States.